A Tale of Five Sisters
The photo above was taken at the Marist Convent 727 High Road
Tottenham London in apx 1910
Four PIKE sisters are seated in the front row.
Left to right they are: Sarah born 1904, Rebecca born 1901, Rosetta Jane born
1899 and Jenny born 1903.
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This is the life story of the five PIKE sisters (and three brothers) born in the East End of London who through family tribulations, managed to survive what fate had in store for them.
Four of the sisters parents were William John PIKE and Rebecca HALL who
were married in St Phillips Parish Church, Stepney on 12th February 1899.
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The PIKE sisters were placed in the Convent school in 1907 following the break
up of their parents marriage.
They were placed in the Convent with the help of Catholic James Berwood SMITH (financial backer to boxer Thomas PALMER and partner of Rebecca's
mother Rosa HALL). The years away from family, whilst safe and secure, were
not without hardship. The school was very disciplined and the sisters experienced some cruelty.
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(1)
Rosetta Jane PIKE married Hyman MITZMAN in Poplar, London in
1923.
They had four daughters; Rebecca b. 1923, Evelyn b.1924, Rita b.1926 and Jean
b.1929.
Hyman subsequently absconded from the family and his children were
placed in the care of the Norwood Jewish Orphanage, Stepney Children's Home and
London County Council Children's services.
Rosetta met John CLARIDGE and together had a son Richard born in 1938. They
married in 1943 in Brighton after obtaining a Court permission to marry
as Hyman MITZMAN was declared presumed dead. Hyman MITZMAN however went on
to change his name to Victor and then Harold HILTON, marry bigamously twice and
have five more children. Rosetta died in Brighton in 1985.
As a postscript to this, Rosetta's daughter Rebecca had a family reunion in 2011
with five of her previously unknown half bothers and sisters.
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(2)
Rebecca PIKE married Catholic William Frederick Bartholomew BISCHOFF
in Mile End London in 1928.
Rebecca later changed her forename to Josephine. They had three children; Paula Maria
b.1929, Catherine Margaret (Margo) Mary b.1934 and John Anthony. William was a
Chief accountant for the firm Eugene.
Rebecca died in Kenley Surrey in 1986.
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(3)
Jenny PIKE (the mother of this author) married Frank WHIPP in
Brighton, Sussex in 1933.
They had two children Brian and David. Frank was a Teacher of Ballroom dancing.
Jenny changed her forename to Jean and the couple would think nothing of
travelling from Brighton to London in the 1930's visiting new Ballrooms in the
early hours. Frank served in the R.A.F. in WW2 as a Leading Aircraftman
and Ground gunner. The war disrupted their marriage and they agreed to a
Separation in 1943.
This left Jean to bring up two small boys on her own for most of wartime and
afterwards.
The effects of the war were to be near catastrophic as two of Jean's homes were
bombed by the enemy in Brighton. The first time being dug out of the basement
covered in soot with baby Brian and the second time being told her new home was
destroyed whilst expecting her next child David in the Brighton Maternity hospital.
To support her children, Jean lived the life as a fine dressmaker and died in
Worthing at
the age of 101 in 2004.
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(4) Sarah Pike married Jacob RUBIN in London in 1932. They had three
children, Davina Lillian b.1932, Ronald b.1935 and Rosalyn.
Jacob saw service in the Army during WW2 and Sarah and the children were
evacuated from London's East End to Cornwall.
After the war the family moved back to London where Jacob took up the
trade as a Cooper.
Sarah died in St Austell, Cornwall in 1988.
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(5) Half sister Sylvia Armistice PIKE was born in 1918 to William
PIKE and Ellen CORP. Sylvia married Alexander David WILSON
in West Ham, London in 1939. David was a Film Records Account Collector and war
time Air Warden. Little is known
of Sylvia's later life. It is
believed the couple separated.
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( More photo's of the four sisters below. No known photo of Sylvia).
The four sisters eventually returned together with their brothers, to the sometimes hectic PALMER family home at No. 1 British Street, Poplar as shown by the 1921 census records.
Rebecca had
previously given birth to a son Alfred HALL out of wedlock in 1896. Alfred
became a soldier in WW1 and was severely gassed. He married Mary (May)
RAPHAEL in Liverpool 1933 and they had one child Leah.
Alfred died in Warrington
in 1960.
Rebecca gave birth to a second son Timothy PIKE in Lndon in 1907. This was the
same year her partner Thomas PALMER, a previous
World Bantam Boxing Champion,
was sent to prison for manslaughter following the death of a man on a train
leaving Epsom races.
He was released from prison in 1911.
Thomas PALMER however later claimed to be the father of Timothy who later used
the name PALMER and became
'World',
'STAR' and British
Ballroom Dancing Champion. Timothy later served in the R.A.F. during the WW2
but died at the early age of 42 in 1949.
Rebecca and Thomas gave birth to Robert PALMER in 1914. 'Bobby', as he became to
be known served in the R.A.F. during WW2 as a Physical TrainingInstructor. He later became a Professional wrestler and film stunt man. Robert
married Bertha POGREBINSKY in London in 1940. They had no children. Robert died
in Hove in 1999.
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William John PIKE and Rebecca were never divorced. William
started a family with Ellen CORP who was also estranged from her husband.
William and Ellen had a daughter Sylvia Armistice PIKE born in 1918 - a child unknown
until recently and a half sister (5) to the girls of this story.
William died in 1951 in Leytonstone. His unmarked grave was later discovered in 2010
in Manor Park Cemetery in London and a Cross installed by his grandchildren.
Not knowing of the whereabouts of William,
Rebecca married Thomas PALMER in Brighton in 1948 Thomas died in 1949 and
Rebecca died in 1955.
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From Left to right: Rosetta Jane, Rebecca (Josephine), Jenny (Jean), Sarah.